Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
A commercial explosives company has offered safety assurances over a scheme to extend its operation at a Derbyshire work site that manufactures and stores hazardous substances and is suspected of working with weapons-grade material.
Bolsover District Council’s planning committee granted permission at a meeting on October 28 for EPC-UK Ltd’s application to build additional operational and storage facilities at its explosives site at Rough Close Works, near Carnfield Hill, which lies partially in countryside between Alfreton and South Normanton.
Agent Samantha Scott, representing EPC-UK Ltd, told the meeting a lot of information has been considered with the council confidentially and that security at the site – which lies 300metres away from a residential area – is ‘strict and rigorous’.
Ms Scott said: “Waste products will be recycled. No waste products will be taken off the site. They are produced and used on site.”
Cllr Steve Fritchley highlighted problems with conflict in the Middle East and threats from Russia and questioned whether explosives produced at the site are weapons-grade in light of the RAF Fairford investigation involving suspicious vehicles at this site and two men being charged under the National Security Act.
Ms Scott said: “There is a lot of information I have shared with the council on a confidential basis.”
She added: “Security on site is pretty intense. Health and safety requires security to be strict and rigorous. It takes me a good half-an-hour to get through checks on site.”
EPC-UK Ltd’s scheme includes three new buildings and a new boiler house, raised bunding and new access, two production support buildings, water treatment works, a replacement laboratory, additional internal access roads, a temporary construction track and infrastructure.
The district council’s conservation officer, South Normanton Parish Council, and Derbyshire County Council’s highways and flood teams have all raised no objections to the scheme.
But the district council’s environmental health officer requested a contamination assessment and the Coal Authority requested that the area’s potential risks from its former coal mining legacy be considered.
The Health and Safety Executive Explosives Inspectorate made no comment because the proposed development is already within the boundary of an HSE licensed explosives site.
A council spokesperson stated: “The nature of the business is such that there are existing safety protection zones in place, managed in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive.”
However, the proposal will be subject to a separate application to the HSE, according to the district council, to ensure operations do not result in any expansion of the safeguarding distances for the site to neighbouring properties.
Security for the new proposals has to meet Control of Major Accidents Hazards Regulations which are of a higher level than most commercial sites, according to the district council.
A council spokesperson added: ” The nature of the business is such that there are existing safety protection zones in place, managed in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive.”
The council stated the scheme will be used with existing operations and allows the company to modernise and expand while the economic benefits outweigh any limited harm to the countryside.
Ms Scott added EPC-UK Ltd is a long-standing employer and the latest expansion will create 31 new jobs and safety is always an ‘important consideration’ and careful consideration has been given to visual impacts and separation distances from residents.
She added: “Not a single objection has been received by third parties which is a reflection of how carefully the site is managed and continues to be. It’s a long established employer and wants to invest in the community.”
Ms Scott said hazardous substances are controlled by hazardous substance licences and are subject to a regulatory process.
She also reassured Cllr Phil Smith that any implications for pending housing developments in the area have been considered.
The planning committee voted to grant planning permission subject to an air quality and noise assessment and further plans to extend the site area solely to meet biodiversity requirements.
Conditions include landscaping with protective fencing, an investigation into any risks posed by former mining land, a scheme to deal with any ground gas, a construction environmental management plan and surface water checks.
